Cave police station is a mine of excellence

Saving lives

Every day after lunch, the officers start patrols of the desert in groups of three, covering the area between the station and the Yumen Pass, a relic dating back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), located 70 km away.

The geopark has been dubbed a "ghost city", because the unique landform produces such creepy wind sounds at night, while a strong magnetic field makes it impossible for compasses to work normally.

Despite that, it's a paradise for people who enjoy adventure holidays, and it is visited by about 5,000 hardy tourists and explorers every year. As such, one of the daily routines for Li and his colleagues is searching for and rescuing people who have lost contact and run into danger, as well as locating vehicles that have broken down.

During the past two decades, Li has overseen more than 200 related operations that have saved 21 lives. He and his colleagues are fully aware of the places where the sand is soft and dangerous, and all the spots where people tend to get lost.

One of the operations that made a lasting impression on Li came in June 1999, when a retired man rode a motorcycle from Jiayuguan－a city in Gansu 500 km away－to the park and planned to continue on to Lop Nor.

"I met him during my patrol. He asked me for directions. I tried to dissuade him from traveling alone, but he insisted," Li recalled.

A few days later, when sandstorms swept the area around the park, the man's family called the station for help because they had lost contact with him.

Li and his colleagues drove around and searched for the man in the vast area between Lop Nor and the park. Eventually, they found him hunkered down in a low-lying place. His vital signs were very weak, so the officers immediately performed artificial respiration and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which saved his life.

A month later, the man returned to the police station. This time, he drove a pickup truck laden with bottled water and barrels of instant noodles, as well as 10,000 yuan in cash. He said he was not there for an expedition, but to express his gratitude to the officers.

Li and his colleagues kept the bottles, because drinking water is scarce in the desert, but they declined the other gifts, saying that it is the duty of the police to help those in danger.